Ditching-machine



ISAAC R. CRANE, OF IVARSAIY, MISSOURI,

DITCHING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 26,566, dated December 27, 1859.` i i To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC R. CRANE, of Warsaw, in the county of Benton and State i of Missouri, have invented a new and Iniproved Ditching-Machine; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is afull, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view, Fig. 2, a side elevation and Fig. 3 a front elevation.

My inventionconsists in constructing arranging and combining, certain mechanical devices into a machine for the purpose of ditching. y

To enable others skilled in the arts to which this appertains, to make and use my said invention, I will proceed to describe the construction and operation thereof.` l

Similar letters of reference represent corresponding parts of the different figures of the drawing annexed.

Upon the drawing A represents the frame of the machine, which may be made of the form shownby the drawing, or of such other form as will best fill the conditions of strength and convenience. This frame is mounted upon three wheels one of which is shown `at O, which I term the driving wheel, as from this wheel all the working parts of the machine receive their motion. Another of these wheels is seen at B, which I terni the gage wheel, as by it the depth to which the machine is allowed to sink into the ground is regulated. The third of these wheels, is shown at I), which I term the guide wheel, as by it, the direct-ion of the machine is governed.

The driving wheel is fixed upon a shaft N which has its bearings in suitable journal boxes, fixed against the under side of the frame. And upon the opposite end of this same shaft, the spur wheel N, is fixed, which meshes in the pinion a xed upon the shaft n', which is supported by studs t, erected upon the frame to receive them. Upon `this same shaft n', a bevel wheel L is fixed, which meshes into a corresponding bevel wheel L fixed upon the shaft R', upon which is also fixed the drum S, from whence a belt is led to the drum S, upon the end of the roller shaft T which thus puts in `motion the endless apron z' z", leading around the rollers T T, and which is supported by the intermediate rollers 1" r fr, The rollers T T vnected to the block and r 1' 1" are supported in the fraineUfU, y

which is placed across the back `end ,ofthe main framepand securedfupon stanohions erected upon the frame to receive it..` `In the spur wheel N `there meshes a second 6o pinion wheel, M,` iixed` iupon fthefend fof ,1 l the roller shaft l\I",wherebythe Said rollen` receives its motion,` and from thisroller ag belt a a a, is led over theroller V, and`o\-*`ei'` L the belt a a, the endless apronc ckcfcis c5 drawn around the rollersfV` and w. This endless apron, o o receives `itwsinotion through the agency `of the "belt` ma, andfwit issup-Q` ported in the centerfby4 the intermediate? 1 5 wheels or rollers o@ fv. These rollersfare` supported in the fraineF, which is madelof c the form shownyuponfthe drawingyand which is secured in theminain" frame at any L required angle witlithe` ground,{in theiinai'i;` i ner shown at Fig 2` To theflowenendof shown. n

The axle ofthe gage wheelfB is l at y and is arranged in sthe vertical frame@ f c c, sothat it can be raised or loweredto l; suit the will ofthe operator, who governs its position by means of the cord orchain` f,

which is `fixed to the lower part of the saidi` l l l axle and passed over `thechain fj and from thence around the shaft Dfwliich isoperated upon by the crank fm, `"whereby the said, axle is drawn down` or allows/dito` raise as the case may re uire, andit isheld in any 1p l 9,0 1 i wheel D, and the ratchetd, Thesaid axle,` `1

given position ygmeans of `the ratchet 1/ is braced and steadied, bymeans of, the` two ears g g, which are xed inthe said axle and which pass `up through tliegup er "part` 1 of the frame c and aroundythe guideirodle in the manner shown. c c j l The axle of the uide wheel P, is "support-` ,y ed in a projection ,fixedagainst theflowerl `l part o the main frame,` so asto revolvefj; freely about `its own axis. The `inside end of the said axle, however is supportedto l and vibrates upon a segment of a circle ZZ Z; The said axle isattached to the said seg-, f ment by means of the blockI-I, and staples" which pass over the i segment `and intothflo block as shown. The position of thewheelj` is governed by theleveryX which is con-fi,"` c

H bylmeans of the rod 1 ddd. c Under the right handside of the frame lIl() n c `715'2 the frame F, is fixed asliovele,"` which isla `supported by the braces P in the manner and at the back end of it, a plow G is 1ocated, with 'a left hand mold board, so as to throw the dirt toward the center of the machine. The beam of this plow is shown at G, and the back end of it is iiXed upon a center Q around which it is made to vibrate by means of the lever E, which is connected to it by means of the rod I the lower end of which is in the form of a clevis as shown at I. The lever E being placed under the control of the attendant, enables him to turn the plow in or out of the ground at pleasure. The power is applied at lz, and the machine when in operationfis continued as far in one direction, as may be desired. It is then turned around and so directed as to cause the drilling wheel to run in the track previously made by the plow, which thus brings the shovel in range with the dirt thrown up, and the machine in advancing causes the dirt to come in contact with the endless apron c c c, which carries it back and deposits it over on the apron z'z', from whence it is deposited on the ground on either side of the ditch, as the apron z' i may be made to move in either direction, by placing a cross or a straight belt, upon the drums s s.

As fast as the ditch increases in depth, the machine is let down into it by letting the axle y, rise up in the frame c, as described, which thus keeps the gage wheel B on the outside of the ditch, to support the front end of the machine and to gage the shovel.

l. I am aware that plows have been used in combination with a scoop and elevator, I do not therefore claim their combination as such. But I claim the arrangement of the plow c with the frame A and the scoop e and elevator F, and the described arrangement of devices for operating the said plow in the manner described.

2. I am also aware that ditching machines have been supplied with devices and means of raising and lowering the scoop and elevator out and in the ditch. I do not thereicore claim this feature broadly but I claim the arrangement of devices whereby the scoop and elevator of my machine is lowered in and raised out of the ditch in the manner described. y

3. I am also aware that diiierent devices have been used for guiding the direction of the machine. I d0 not therefore claim a guide wheel applied to a ditching machine as such. But I claim the arrangement of the Vguide wheel P with the frame A and with the arrangement of devices for operating the said wheel as described.

ISAAC R. CRANE.

Witnesses:

C. E. GRAY, S. J. LEVI. 

